Screening of exhumations

[Bigpicture]

Recently worked on a 19th & 20th century exhumation contract. Set-up comprised an exhumation contractor as the Principal Contractor and the archaeology contractor I was employed by making a record and and assessment during the works. Parts of the site were overlooked by residences but the PC reckoned that the site only needed to be screened once we were actually lifting human remains, not while bulk excavations were being undertaken. I can see the logic of the PC but not sure the local residents would see it that way, especially given the relatively recent burials.

Is there a hard and fast rule on this? I'm aware that things have been a bit vague lately but can't help wondering if the PC was riding rough-shod over the archs?

[BAJR Host]

Interesting question .. which should be answered in general terms. I thank BigPicture for being suitably vague and within AUP.

Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.
Mohandas Gandhi

[historic building]

screening would usually be specified on the licence. I will have to dig through my paper files and see exactly what is specified.

[Faunal Remains]

This is from English Heritage's "Guidance for best practice for treatment of human remains excavated from Christian burial grounds in England" 2005, Page 42, Section 233
"Where excavations are likely to be visible to passers by (as is generally the case with urban excavations), the site should be screened (and roofed where tall buildings overlook the site), and Home Office licensing usually requires this."

That sounds like screening is required throughout the excavation, not just as the human remains are being lifted.

Hope that helps.

[historic building]

I found my records, and my most recent exhumation was fully enclosed. We also conditioned this on the planning permission.

[chiz]

screening is also in my experience usually monitored by the local environmental health officers under their remit, so on top of the legal requirement you have to comply with their reasonable requests.

screening of the bulk excavation of overburden may be more an issue for common sense/good neighbour relations than legal/Env H concerns. Developers (and units) in my direct experience have generally tried to err on the side of overscreening to avoid bad PR

[Bigpicture]

Thanks for the responses, dudes. I don't think the PC was too concerned about PR to be honest and the 2 environmental health officers had a combined age of about 40. Neither equipped to stand up to that dragon. But it doesn't sound like he was actually outside proscribed etiquette anyway. Just.